This
is a time when managers will make unorthodox moves to do anything to get into
the playoffs. If there’s inkling that their pitcher is putting their respective
team in jeopardy, they will yank him prematurely. Let’s see how this plays out
in today's slate of games.

Atlanta Braves (89-60) at Washington Nationals (79-70)

Playoff Hopes Are Dim But Alive

Most
of the time, I would stay away from a game like this, but the Atlanta
Braves have had the National League East Division locked for quite some time and Washington has
been fighting tooth and nail to get back into the playoff scenario. The Nats
have done quite a good job as they’re 4.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds with
13 games to go and they’ve won 9 out of their last 11 games.

Washington’s
playoff chances are remote, but they have a ton of momentum and major incentive
to win this game. Atlanta has the pitching advantage in tonight’s matchup as
Mike Minor (13-7, 3.15) takes on Dan Haren (9-13, 5.02) and just as I stated
earlier, if Haren shows any signs of trouble, he’ll be taken out of the game
and it will be up to the Nats bullpen to help their cause.

26 Game Hitting streak

Denard
Span has a long way to go before he breaks Joe DiMaggio’s record for
consecutive games with a hit, but Span is quietly having an outstanding season
and is a major reason why Washington is still in the playoff hunt.

A
good team needs good pitching and a good leadoff hitter and Span is the man to
set the tone for the Nats and has done a fantastic job in 2013. In the month of
September, Span is hitting a healthy .377 and setting up Ryan Zimmerman, who
has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

Washington’s
offense is on fire after an 11-2 win over Philadelphia on Sunday. This game
will come down to the effectiveness of Haren.

Even
though Haren isn’t a great guy to bank on, I like Washington with their
momentum and incentive in this spot. The MLB odds are appealing also.

Even
though these two teams have identical records, they’re going in opposite
directions. Texas has handed the American League West Division over to Oakland
by completely tanking it at the worst time, losing 6 consecutive games. The
Rays are coming off of disappointing 6-4 loss to Minnesota, but they’re still
putting up a good fight. Texas’ poor play has given hope to a lot of other
teams in the American League that are looking to for a wild card spot as both
the Rays and Rangers are in possession of both wild card spots.

Garza vs. Cobb

Both
teams couldn’t ask for a better pitching matchup tonight at the Trop as Matt
Garza (9-5, 3.79) takes the ball for Texas and he’ll be opposed by Alex Cobb
(8-3, 3.08) for the Rays. That said, you don’t want to bet against Alex Cobb at
Tropicana Field where he’s 5-0 in 11 starts with a 3.09 ERA.

Garza
has had a splendid season, but has tailed off as of late. He’s only had one
quality pitching outing since July 29th and hasn’t picked up a victory since
August 19th. This was a game in which he was lucky to win with a
tremendous amount of run support.

Right
fielder, Will Myers, has been the hot hitter for the Rays as of late. In his
last 4 games, he’s 6 for 14 with 3 doubles, 1 HR and 4 RBI’s. Myers is
definitely a game-changer and someone to keep an eye on aside from stars like
Evan Longoria.

For
your sports picks, look for Cobb to dominate the Rangers offense
at home as Texas suffers their 7th consecutive
loss.